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BUCKLAND — A former U.S. Marine is apologizing to his fellow veterans and the community at large after it was discovered he has embellished his military service and received medals and money he had not earned.
Investigations by the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District found that Buckland resident Paul “PJ” Herbert had lied about certain heroic actions during deployments to northern Iraq and Somalia in the 1990s. Employees at the veterans’ services district in Greenfield said Herbert initially denied the allegations and became defensive before eventually confessing.
“I just needed to feel important. I started feeling important and feeling good about myself and I didn’t know a way to get out,” Herbert, 51, said in an interview in Greenfield. “I know I hurt a lot of people that trusted me and cared about me and everything else.”
Starting an investigation
In the fall of 2021, the Greenfield Recorder learned that the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District had investigated a local potential case of stolen valor and that the case had been picked up by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Stolen valor is the act of lying about military service. It can come in a variety of forms — from falsely claiming to be a veteran, to claiming a certain rank that was not earned, to wearing or claiming military awards or decorations never awarded. Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District Director...
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